Crisp and wafer-thin, a colony of the lace coral Hippellozoon novaezelandiae looks good enough to eat. But like all bryozoans it produces toxic compounds to deter other creatures from nibbling it or settling on top of it. Such chemical defences are one of the reasons for the success of bryozoans—for these animals are among the commonest marine invertebrates. With nearly 1000 species, New Zealand possesses one of the richest bryozoan diversities in the world.